Tekunoraizu

Having really enjoyed Haibane Renmei I was interested to see another film from its creators. While this series is very different; it is slower moving, much darker in tone, violent and has a much bleaker look to it, however the animation is of an equal standard and the backgrounds are very detailed. The series is set in a bleak underground city were various groups are in conflict. As the story begins it is hard to tell who the protagonist will be; there is Kazuho Yoshii a visitor to the city who at first appears to be a tourist but soon starts to stir up trouble, then there is Ichise a young man who is violently attacked in the opening episode and ends up having his severed arm and leg replaced by cybernetic parts, and finally there is Ran a mysterious girl who is frequently seen around the others. As the series progresses we gradually learn more about these characters and others while the situation for them and the other people of the city gets more dangerous. As to the title; Texhnolyzation refers to the process where some people have body parts replaced by cybernetic parts; some people just have one or two parts others are almost entirely mechanical.

For the first few episodes I wasn't sure what to make of this series; there was very little dialogue and what there was didn't make it that clear what was happening; some viewers might find it boring but I found it gradually drawing me in to the lives of the characters. The animation looked good if a little bleak; the bleakness was increased as several scenes the picture contained static like you would find on a television with less than perfect reception. The regular bloody violence means that this series isn't suitable for younger viewers although I suspect the slow pace would put children off watching anyway.

Lux ... the underground city of dark imagination where philosophies clash in form of mob-like gangs. Are you a free spirit, religious or do you fancy a well-structured leadership similar in a way to most current governments? Or maybe you do not care for any of these? A traveler descends into this dream-like world in order to find an intensity of life that is missing from his existence. A professional fighter has to find his path after a very violent incident makes him unable to continue his job. A mysterious young girl is able to see the future or rather a possible future. Their paths cross in unexpected ways and their destinies are difficult to fathom.

Texhnolyze has a really special atmosphere, with shots carefully composed and beautifully drawn. It's by no means a fun or fast-moving anime. It includes plenty of violence and some mechanized robots and body parts but the focus is definitely not on getting things blown up but rather on the psychological side. You have to be prepared to give it your full attention in order to understand the sinuous story and visual metaphors. Most important you need at least a minimum affinity to the stylish dark atmosphere because every episode is imbued with it. For those who can feel it and maybe understand it, Texhnolyze will prove one of the most rewarding experiences. It may well be the most mature and artistically valid anime series ever made.

My first review on IMDb, Hiroshi Hamasaki's Technolyze has been so far (in my viewing experience) the most effective way to understand moral ambiguities of the human spirit. Juxtaposing art, architecture, science, psychology and a fair bit of body horror rendered in surreal animation, this series is everything an entire generation of storytellers could want to tell, perhaps, without being able to.

The first episode has exactly five lines of dialogues, the most provocative sound design and surreal animation that can either put you off it or make you bend your knees in awe. From there on, the world of Lukuss takes over, in vivid and astonishing detail.

The denouement is especially haunting and much will depend on your own perceptions. Unless you decide to hanker over the internet trying to find a singular meaning. Which will not be very satisfying. Re-watching this series is going to be my gamble.

I believe Texnolyze is more of an impression. An evolving thought in the minds of Konaka and Hamasaki. And therefore it has movement and fallibility. Sometimes, that is exactly what defines true expression.

Watch it only if you are patient. Or you enjoy art.

Yeah seriously, I hadn't a notion what the damn hell was going on but man, the soundtrack to the whole series was so damn upbeat including the opening song and the fighting scenes were brilliantly intense. The art may be old for an early 2000's anime but it still has its charm of producing such fantastic scenes and the fact it was produced by Madhouse, makes it 10x better.

Definitely check out this anime folks if you want to have a mixture of emotions and hear a lit soundtrack!

Have you ever watched something so good it made you want to throw up?

I am being completely serious - Texhnolyze, as well as being less than intuitive to spell, is nauseous in all the right ways. The grotesque, bewildering, horrifying and utterly despairing all have their place.

Don't let the first few episodes put you off. At first I kept watching for the style alone (no point bothering with the details but there's some crazy and better yet successfully experimental art/sound/space/editing stuff going on), but far better things grow out of it. The last few episodes, for instance, are honest-to-god one of the most jaw dropping sequences I have ever watched. What happens in between is also great, but fuck me, the end of it..

Lots of anime claims to think. Usually that means half-arsed monologues by side characters that either don't make sense or are completely irrelevant, trying to pass as philosophy by using lots of big words and being boring. Here's one that actually does.